A biosensor refers to a miniaturized sensor that includes a certain biological object combined with a signal transducer, and converts information about the amount of a substance of interest among various mixtures into an electrical signal using a biological substance.
The biosensor may be used to generate an electrical signal that is proportional to the amount of any substance to be analyzed or a group of substances associated therewith. For example, the biosensor may be used as a blood sensor for detecting a blood glucose value from blood collected from the blood of a diabetic patient.
Such a biosensor may be implemented using a small-sized device such that the user can use the biosensor easily and quickly.
An electrochemical biosensor, which is a kind of biosensor, is configured to directly convert the amount of a biological material into an electrical analogue signal, and then to convert the electrical analogue signal into a digital signal, among various initial signal conversion principles.
For example, when galactose oxidase is fixed to a platinum electrode, the platinum electrode is immersed in a sample solution containing galactose, and then a voltage is applied to the platinum electrode, a chemical reaction occurs on the surface of the electrode. Hydrogen peroxide produced as a result of the chemical reaction is oxidized on the platinum electrode, and an amount of charge proportional to the oxidation amount is generated.
The amount of charge generated per unit time is proportional to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide generated around the platinum electrode by the galactose oxidase, so that the concentration of galactose can be determined by measuring the current flowing therearound. Besides the method of measuring the current, the same result can be obtained by measuring a pH change or measuring a reduced amount in oxygen concentration.
The electrochemical biosensor also includes a type of obtaining information concerning the concentration of a desired substance from the current value, and a type of performing the same operation from a potential difference and a resistance value.
For the measurement through a biosensor, it is necessary to use a measuring device. In connection with such a measuring device, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0032461 discloses “Biosensor and Measuring Device thereof.” Specifically, the Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication discloses a measuring device that is formed with a receiving part into which a biosensor is inserted. A corresponding dedicated fastening portion is formed on each of the contact surfaces where the biosensor and the receiving part of the measuring device are in contact with each other, and the biosensor is configured to be capable of being inserted into the receiving portion only when the respective dedicated fastening portions are engaged with each other. With this arrangement, only the biosensor and the measuring device which are matched with each other can be coupled to each other so that reliable measuring results can be obtained.
Meanwhile, Korean Patent No. 10-1348410 discloses “Blood Glucose Measuring Strip Accommodating and Storage Device” as a device for storing and supplying a biosensor (strip). Specifically, the device includes: a housing that stores a plurality of strips arranged in a row to collect body fluid; an operating member that is opened at one side to allow the housing to be inserted into the operating member and rotates at a predetermined angle around a rotary shaft provided on an outer surface of the housing in order to discharge the strips; a first conveying member that is installed inside the housing in order to discharge the strips to the outside through a discharge port and converts the rotational motion of the operating member into an upward linear motion in order to convey the strips upward; and a second conveying member that is provided such that one side of the housing is opposite to the discharge port in order to convey an unused strip to a discharge region.
According to the strip accommodating device of Korean Patent No. 10-1348410, because one of a plurality of strips (biosensors) is automatically discharged through a discharge port, there are advantages in that the discharge time of the strip can be shortened, and the portability and operability of the product can be facilitated.
However, in a conventional general measuring device including the measuring device disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2013-0032461, it is necessary to confirm a measured value after the biosensor strip is inserted into the measuring device and to separate the biosensor strip from the measuring device. However, since the biosensor strips and the measuring device must be stored separately, and the biosensor strip must be replaced whenever a measurement is performed, there is a great inconvenience in use.
Also, as disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0032461 and Korean Patent No. 10-1348410, the conventional device includes a storage device of a strip (biosensor) and a blood glucose measuring device, which are generally separated from each other. The use of the devices is very complicated, which may become more inconvenient for an insulin-dependent patient who has to measure blood glucose several times a day.
In the strip storage device disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0032461, because the strips stacked by the elastic module and the guide unit are configured to be simply pressed, different frictional forces act on the stacked strips when the stacked strips are sequentially dispensed from the strip storage device so that there is a limit in smooth dispensing.